OK, another idiot newbie question:
Just got my new WWII thin kerf blade today. I'm ready to install it, and am also going to install a zero clearance throat plate. I have the blank from Ridgid, just need to cut it.
Is it at all harmful to a blade to cut through a throat plate? Should I use the old crap ridgid blade to cut it?
I suspect I'm FOS, but I need reassurance.
I'm curious; why did you opt for the thin kerf version?
dave
Sammy wrote:
The whole idea is to use that particular blade to cut its own "zero clearance" insert ... cut away with your Forrest. Be aware that you may not be able to get the blade low enough, so you might had to use dado blade to get the cut started if it doesn't already have a slot.
I asked the group a couple of weeks back. Someone suggested I call forrest:
"What type of saw do you have?"
"I have a 1 1/2 hp Ridgi.."
"Thin kerf."
"And what kind of stiffener should I ge.."
"Five inch."
"OK, thanks."
that explains it, then. the HP rating...
regarding the stiffner: that's more information than I needed!@ :)
dave
Sammy wrote:
Another way to deal with the problem if you can't get the blade low enough is to clamp the new insert over the existing one by using a piece of 2x4 to go across the table saw from front to back and clamp the ends to the saw top at each end.
Nope - that's my market corner, thank you!
Nope and Nope - use the Forrest. Won't hurt it, and that's kind'a the point of the zero clearance.
Won't hurt the blade at all. And for the zero clearance plate to work properly, you need to cut through it with the same blade you'll be using it with. And if you think this means you should have a different zero clearance insert for every blade you use... you're right.
-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)
ATTENTION SAMMY!!!
Ok, hopefully that got your attention ;) Anyway, from one newbie to another, please let my painful experience (mostly in time and money -- not blood) be your free lesson on how to make these things.
Swingman and Frank have the right clues as how to do this. I would use Frank's method. My dado blade had to come up through the insert a bit before it made a hole big enough for my blade to not catch on the insert when lowered all the way down. This resulted in a minor amount of open space, so kind of a "one" clearance insert instead of zero ;)
Anyway, the reason I give the caution is that I tried to do this without any of these suggestions and almost burned out my motor (actually I completely burned through the link belt and sprayed plastic/whatever all over the inside of my saw and spent hours cleaning it and realigning the motor/pulleys -- plus a new link belt). Ouch. Don't do this :)
Good luck, Mike
I've got zero clearance inserts for all of my blades, but what do other people do when they have to tilt the blade 45 degrees? Is there a way to do this with the insert that I'm just not seeing, or do you go back to the insert that came with the saw for this?
-David
Same method. Make the insert, tilt the saw, lower the blade, place the insert, and raise the blade, while the insert is being held down tightly, of course. (just not with your fingers)
If necessary, some of the thickness can also be removed with a smaller blade, or a router.
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